B-2 bomber misses rainy Rose Parade, but makes rescheduled date at Rose Bowl

Foul weather meant the famed B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which typically ushers in the Rose Parade each year, missed its first flight Thursday morning in Pasadena during the 137th installment of the event.

Its second appearance, a pregame flight over the Rose Bowl game, was postponed until halftime. But the bat-winged aircraft finally soared over the historic stadium at about 3 p.m., after Indiana University took a 17-0 halftime lead over Alabama.

As the parade began, the skies were cloudy. The rain was coming down. Attendees were prepared to hear the thunder, not from the weather, but rather from the B-2 bomber’s familiar roar overhead.

That didn’t happen as planned, as the dense, low cloud cover made it too difficult to navigate the skies, U.S. Air Force officials said.

“Due to the inclement weather in Pasadena causing a low (cloud) ceiling, the B-2 Spirit could not conduct its scheduled flyover for the Rose Parade,” said Joanna Bachtel, spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force 509th Bomb Wing.

Thursday was the first time in 20 years that it rained on the Rose Parade, causing the change of flight plans.

Typically on Jan. 1, the plane executes two tightly-timed flyovers — one for the Rose Parade and another for the Rose Bowl.

After the planned parade stop, the aircraft usually continues on to the Rose Bowl to kick off the annual football game with a flight over the stadium.

The rain eased up mid-parade, and the clouds broke in the afternoon as fans packed the stadium for the game pitting Indiana University against Alabama.

Air Force officials said before the game that if the weather cleared, the second flyover would take place during the Rose Bowl’s halftime instead of at the beginning.

The decision to change plans wasn’t made lightly, as lots of preparation goes into the yearly tradition.

On New Year’s Day, pilots wake up around 2 a.m. Central Time to start the three- to three-and-a-half-hour flight from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri –– covering more than 1,600 miles to Pasadena. And the mission also serves as a training exercise for Air Force pilots to perfect their flight times and skills.